Cage for ball bearings



Aug.9, 1927. A. H. LINDE CAGE FOR BALL BEARINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet. i

Original Filed Jan. 20, 1926 ATTORNEY 0 Aug 1927 A. H. LINDE CAGE FOR BALL BEARINGS Original Filed Jan. 20. 1926 k 2 Sheets-Sheet z INVENTOR flndrea/HL maze ATTORNEY tion is Patented Aug. 9, i927.

UNITED-STATES;

earEN foF l -r ANDREW" H. LIN'DE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA E, ASSIGNOR TO THE HESS- BBIGH'I. ELN'UTAQ'IUBING QOMPANY, OI PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA. A

comgomrron or DELAWARE.

cacn roam: amines.

Application filed January 20, 1926, Serial No. 82,568. Renewed December 4, 1926.

The sub'ect of this invention is specially designed or use in bearings wherein the.

ball separator or spacer is placed between v the balls after these are assembled between 5 theiringsin proper spaced position in the race grooves. It is peculiarly useful in the assembly of the two row deep groove radial typreilof bearing. a r

n e referred drawn from sheet metal and presents two concentric substantial cylindrical rings or plates disposed face to face and connected at one edge making a structure substantiall U-sha ed in cross section, although rather {iattene In'the edges at the open side of j the structure there are formed open notches for ball ockets. During the forming operation t e metal surrounding .the notches and the free edges of the plates between the notches is extruded in the ,form of flanges. The extrusion of metal from the outer late is preferably projected outwardly and that from the inner plate pro ected inwardly. This is the most convenientmethod, 'particularl g when the lates are pressed rather close y together. e flange carried by each plate is preferably continuous. That portion of t e flange between v-the ockets, esgecially when given an nwar bend, ten 5 to stiffen the corner.

In the drawings accompanying this s 'ec'ification one racticable embodiment o the invention is illustrated, in which drawmgs, -Figure 1,. shows in perspective acage or separator formed in accordance with my invention the view being taken from the closed side; this side being the one seen vfrom the outside of the bearing when the se arator is in its assembled position. Fig. 2 is an elevation of a bearing o equipped with the improved separator.

Fig. 3 is a section of the bearingsh'own in Fig. 2 at aboutthe plane of the line 3-9-3 Fig. .4 .is an elevation of the separator viewed from the open side.

' Fig. 5'is a central sectional viewof the retainer taken at about the plane of the 'line-5-5 Fig.4 and Figs. 6 and 7 are embodiment of the invensubstantiall in rings or edge by a fold, 14. This fold, 14, is really details showing I the manner in which the separator may be tight- '0 ly closed upon the balls in some instances.

When the cage is, assembled in a two row bearing, the rows, 1011 of balls are placed in position between the rings,-8 and 9, and spaced, and the cage for each row is presented from the outside with the connected edges of the plates, 12 and 13, directed outwardly, the structure then bemg sprung or snapped into position about the balls.

The bearing rings 8 and 9ishown by way of illustration herein are of the deep groove unnotched type, which are intended to be assembled, with the two sets of balls, 10 and 11, by the Conrad or eccentric method. In this method of assembly as-is well known the balls are placed between the rings in' proper spaced position in the race grooves prior to the application of the cage or spacing device. The cage or spacer is then applied and secured in position. According to the resent invention the cage for each row of alls is formed of a single iece of sheet metal ofiballs as'closely'related as they are in the showing in .Fig. 3, which by the way, is

proportion to the S. A. E. standard dimensions for wide series bear-1 ings, the separators 'must of necessity be j applied from the outside and the structure must be such thatthe upsetting or deforming instrument;- when one is used, can enter the space between thev rings and pass through the narrowestispacebetween the two adjacent balls before reaching its work. I

1 In the illustration the separator is shown drawn iron c, single piece of sheet metaland rams two substantially cylindrical plates, 12 and 13, united at one the bottom or connecting member made by the drawing dies. During the drawing op-. eration a series of notches for afiording ball pockets, 15, are formed l-1211c free edgespof the plates. The metal during the eration of forming these pockets is extrude into a Fig. 5. The depth of each pocket is pref erably somewhat greater than half the diameter of the ball intended to be seatedtherein.

The curvature of the inner faces of the pocket forming flanges, 16 and 17, is such 20 and 21, o

that they extend above and below the eat circle of the ball so that the cage wil not permit a ball to either unduly depress or raise the cage, that is, the ball cannot ride over or under the cage.

The portions, 18 and 19, of the flanges extending between the ball pockets are formed into a concave shape which assists in adding strength to the flange. The corners,

the flanges at the mergin'g of the pocket flanges and the connecting flanges are shown forming an acute angle and overlapping the balls.

After the balls have been assembled between the rings,'the cage may be applied by bringing it into such a position that the corners at the entrance of the various.

pockets engage the balls, whereupon a slight inward pressure springs the plates apart sufficiently to permit the entrance of the balls into the pockets. After the balls enter the pockets and pass the corners, 20 and 21, the parts assume their normal position.

.In some cases it may be found desirable to have the plates normally open or apart at the free edges, either suflicient to permit the structure to pass:- the balls without any bending or with slight bending and subsequently to close the plates together. The

method of doing this is indicated in Figs.

6 and 7 wherein a 'ring, 325, is illustrated having a series of punches or fingers, 2627 adapted to enter the space between the ball pockets and to straddle the plates. The ends of the fingers are shown beveled, at 285-29, for engaging the flanges 18-19 andpress-v ing the plates together by a wedglng action, the pressure being sufficient to deform and give a permanent set to the structure so that upon the withdrawal of the instrument the parts remain in position. 7 Having described my invention I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent: 1. A spacing cage for ball bearings consisting of a folded body portion presenting two plates disposed face to face and proextending along the edge of such plate be- I tween sockets.

2. A spacing cage for ball bearings consisting of a folded body portion presenting two plates disposed face to face and provided at intervals in their edges with open. notches, and having flanges extending outwardly from the notches laterally beyond the outer faces of the plates and constitutin conjointly ball holding sockets, the flange upon each plate being continuous and extending along the edge of such plate between sockets, the edges of the plates being normally spread apart before assembly in a bearing to facilitate the introduction of balls into the sockets.

3. A spacing cage for ball bearings consisting of a folded body portion presenting two plates disposed. face to face and provided at intervals in their edges with open notches, and having-"flanges extending outwardly from the notches laterally beyond the outer faces of the plates and constituting conjointly ball holding sockets, the flange ex-v upon each plate being continuous and tending along the edge of such plate between sockets, the portions of the flange between sockets bein'g concave, whereby acute angles v et are formed with the corners of poo flanges.

4. A spacing cage for ball bearings consisting of a folded body portion presenting two plates disposed face to face and provided at intervals in their edges with open notches, and having flanges extending outwardly from the notches laterally beyondthe outer faces of the plates and constituting conjointly ball holding sockets, the flanges upon the plates being continuous and extending between sockets, the flanges between sockets being concave. v

5. A spacing cage for ball bearings Iconsistingof a folded body portion presentin'g two plates disposed face to face and pro- 7. A spacing cage for ball bearings consisting of a folded body portion presenting two plates disposed face to face and provided at intervals in their edges with open notches, constituting conjointly ball holding sockets, one of said plates having a flange extending outwardly from the notches laterally beyond its outer face, such flange extending between sockets, and such flange between sockets being concave.

Signed at the city of Philadelphia, Pa. this 18th day of January, 1926.

ANDREW H. LINDE. 

